Choosing a site and preparing it to build on.

[Igloo Ed]

An ideal site for your igloo is an open area with two and a half to three feet of snow that is 3 ft. larger in diameter than the igloo size you are wanting to build. It is also helpful if there are no rocks or fallen logs underneath the snow for when you dig the doorway and trench. Probing the snow with a ski pole will usually show where any logs or rocks are.
While probing the snow and preparing the platform, be careful not to track or pack down the snow you will eventually use to build the igloo. It is best to enter the area via one common path and leave your packs some 15 ft. or so away from the igloo site until ready to move into the igloo.
With skis/snowshoes or by foot, pack down a level area three feet in diameter larger than the igloo size you intend to build.
After you have packed and leveled the area, continue to pack the base by foot (without skis/snowshoes) until it is solid and level. For sugar snow or depth hoar, you may need to let it set for 15 minutes or so. The base should be solid enough that the Form Handler, who works within this circle, can walk, stand or kneel on this surface without sinking in, stumbling or otherwise jarring the form.